Be At One, the highly-regarded cocktail bar operator, is sounding out a number of private equity firms regarding the next stage of its growth, M&C Report understands.
The group, which was founded in 1998 by three former TGI Friday’s bar staff Steve Locke, Rhys Oldfield and Leigh Miller currently has 10 bars operating under brand across London but has previously talked about a 20-strong estate across the capital.
Last November, the group reported like-for-like sales of £3.4m, up 8.4%, for the six months to 3rd October 2010, with overall sales up 25% on the previous year at £3.96m.
The company has also been taking steps to strength its management team as it looks to gear up its expansion plans, with another five sites planned for this year.
At the end of last year, it announced the appointment of Andrew Stones, formerly of Whitbread and JD Wetherspoon, as operations director.
It is also thought to be searching for a financial director, after Zoe Tindall, the formerly of YO! Sushi, who was the group’s acting financial director, left to join Vietnamese-chain Pho.
